Liz Truss cabinet reshuffle: Who’s in and who’s out?
Liz Truss has been accused of bringing in a “phony freeze” on energy bills after announcing a £2,500 yearly price cap for the average household until October 2024.
Setting out her plan to help deal with the energy crisis, the prime minister also promised support for businesses struggling with bills for six months, with targeted support for vulnerable firms beyond that.
She announced the ban on fracking in England will end, meaning production of domestic shale gas could begin in as little as six months.
Opposition parties have warned the plan to ease the cost-of-living crisis without taxing energy firms could saddle Britons with debt for decades.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer claimed the move would force taxpayers to “foot the bill”, while the plans were dubbed a decades-long “Truss tax” by the SNP’s Ian Blackford.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed energy prices and security to the top of the agenda, prompting calls for the government to rethink the moratorium it had imposed on fracking in England in 2019 in the wake of tremors in Lancashire.
West Midlands mayor welcomes cost of living plan
Responding to the government’s energy measures, West Midlands mayor Andy Street said: “It’ll be hugely welcomed.
“The prime minister has used the words ‘this is a crisis’.
“It’s her third day in office and she is dealing with it robustly.
“I think that is a very, very good sign but something I am particularly pleased about, and it links to the whole hospitality sector, it looks as though there’s going to be really important support for small businesses as well.
“This hasn’t been talked about as much.
“Perhaps it wasn’t as predicted, on the horizon, but actually it looks as though there’s going to be decisive action.
“If you’re a pub, a restaurant or cafe facing the winter, this could be the difference between staying in business and going out of business.”
Rees-Mogg: We must have energy independence by 2040
Business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said “we must have energy independence and become a net exporter of energy by 2040”.
Mr Rees-Mogg told the Commons: “Looking at the long term, we must fix our broken energy system. We must have energy independence and become a net exporter of energy by 2040.
“We cannot be held captive by volatile global markets or malevolent states, we must tackle the root causes of problems in our energy market by boosting domestic supply.”
He went on: “We are fully committed to green growth and the green industrial revolution, and to net zero by 2050. But we’ve got to get there, and to get that we are going to need oil and gas. So, we are going to have a new oil and gas licensing round, and we are hoping to launch it in October.”
Liz Truss can protect poorer students and reverse the damage done by George Osborne – but will she?
Twenty years ago, the vast majority of undergraduates at Oxbridge had been privately educated – that figure now stands at around 30 per cent for both, writes Ed Dorrell.
Read Ed’s full piece here:
Opinion: Liz Truss can protect poorer students – but will she?
Twenty years ago, the vast majority of undergraduates at Oxbridge had been privately educated – that figure now stands at around 30 per cent for both, writes Ed Dorrell
Boris on the backbenches: What former PMs should – and should not – do next
After observing several decades of ministers shuffling from frontline roles to the quiet mundanities of Civvy Street, I’ve compiled a handy list of dos and dont’s, writes Cathy Newman.
Read Cathy’s full piece here:
Opinion: Boris on the backbenches: What former PMs should – and should not – do next
After observing several decades of ministers shuffling from frontline roles to the quiet mundanities of Civvy Street, I’ve compiled a handy list of dos and don’ts
Energy plan will bring ‘immediate relief’
The government’s energy plan will “bring immediate relief” to struggling families, the boss of the UK’s biggest energy supplier has said.
Chris O’Shea, chief executive of British Gas owner Centrica, promised to continue donating 10 per cent of profits to help vulnerable households.
These households are still facing doubled energy bills despite the support announced on Thursday.
“We know people are deeply worried about the increase in their energy bills this winter,” Mr O’Shea said.
“Extraordinary circumstances call for us all to think differently and we know this bold customer support package from the new prime minister and chancellor will bring immediate relief to hard-pressed households.”
Starmer: Truss opposition to windfall tax driven by ‘dogma’
Liz Truss’s opposition to a windfall tax is being driven by “dogma”, Keir Starmer has claimed.
The Labour leader criticised the PM’s decision not to extend the levy on the huge profits of oil and gas giants to help with soaring energy bills.
In the House of Commons earlier Ms Truss confirmed her cost of living plan, which will see bills limited to around £2,500.
It came as it emerged that the biggest donation to Ms Truss’s successful leadership bid came from the wife of a former BP executive.
More comments below:
Truss plan does nothing to insulate ‘leaky homes’
Liz Truss’s cost of living plan does nothing to help insulate the UK’s “leaky homes”, the Green Party has warned.
Co-leader Adrian Ramsay criticised the PM’s plan to effectively freeze bills, saying it will still leave energy unaffordable for millions while pushing for exploiting more oil and gas.
He also condemned the government’s plan to grant new drilling licences to oil and gas giants operating in the North Sea.
He said: “The Truss plan still leaves energy unaffordable for millions of households. It risks forcing many people to choose whether to heat or eat this winter. This is why the Green Party has proposed to cap energy prices at the October 2021 level of £1,277.
“Nor is there any plan to insulate our leaky homes to make them warmer and healthier and hardly anything on investing in renewables – the cheapest way to generate electricity.
“The plan to grant 100 new licences to oil and gas companies to expand their climate destroying industry and continue raking in eye watering dirty profits is inexplicable while we still hold the COP Presidency, and when we know that renewables are far cheaper.”
Prime minister says her thoughts are with the Queen
Prime minister Liz Truss has said her thoughts are with Her Majesty The Queen at this time, shortly after Commons was interrupted by the speaker to announce doctors are concerned about the Queen’s health.
Nation ‘deeply concerned’ about Queen’s health, says Liz Truss
Liz Truss said the nation will be “deeply concerned” by the news from Buckingham Palace that Queen Elizabeth II is under close medical supervision.
The new Conservative prime minister said her thoughts “and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom” were with the 96-year-old monarch and the royal family.
Labour leader Keir Starmer also said he was “deeply worried” by the news, adding that he was “hoping for her recovery” along with the rest of the country.
Prince Charles, heir to the throne, is now with the Queen at Balmoral after she was placed under medical supervision. Her doctors “are concerned for Her Majesty’s health”, a spokesperson for the palace said.
Nation ‘deeply concerned’ about Queen’s health, says Liz Truss
Speaker interrupts Commons debate to deliver news to stunned MPs
Truss announcement ‘an expensive sticking plaster’ without investment in homes, campaigners warn
The End Fuel Poverty Coalition has called Liz Truss’s energy announcement an “expensive sticking plaster” without further investment in improving energy efficiency of homes worst affected by fuel poverty.
Coalition co-ordinator Simon Francis said: “While many households will breathe a sigh of relief, the Prime Minister offered no detail of additional support for the millions of households who will be left behind in fuel poverty this winter.
“Many of these people are struggling already and include those who are elderly, disabled or with pre-existing health conditions. Without more support to keep them warm this winter, the pressures on the NHS and social care system will increase.”
